So, once again, England expects. As Fabio Capello takes up his job this month as manager of the country’s football team, what CAN those who follow its fortunes expect?

They can certainly expect a rather different person from his immediate predecessor. If not with the fans, Steve McClaren was always popular with his players for his chummy, boot room manner. One of the lads.

Quite what Lampard, Crouch and the rest of them will make of his successor - art collector, opera buff, travel connoisseur - is anyone’s guess.

Of course, to some extent, we’ve been here before. The FA and friendly journalists were only too keen to play up the cultural credentials of one Sven-Goran Eriksson upon his appointment in the same job. And we all know how that ended up, don’t we?

Capello and his Italian backroom boys are being offered a similar king’s ransom in the expectation that they can propel the nation from gutsy losers to world superstars.

So how will it be different this time? The line we’re being sold by the pundits is that, unlike the two previous occupants of the post, Capello won’t make the mistake of getting too friendly with any particular players.

Contenders will have to earn their place in the squad through effort, not by some assumed, God-given right to appear on the teamsheet.

We shall see. One thing which is undeniable is Capello’s record as a coach - guiding teams to nine European league championships as manager of Juventus, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and AC Milan.

While that’s a record no home-grown England manager could hope to approach (McClaren included), let us not forget that Eriksson also arrived at the FA with a similarly impressive track record in Europe’s top flights.

The difference is that unlike league managers, national coaches can’t buy their way up the quality ladder. We already know that the players featuring in the last two dozen games for England probably represent the zenith of current achievers who are qualified to wear the Three Lions.

Can a good manager improve them, mould them into something better? Undoubtedly. Could he take them to the final stages of the World Cup (and even a semi-final appearance would scarcely do for some of the team’s most fanatical and unrealistic supporters)? Probably not, if we’re honest with ourselves.

Look at the number of non-British players currently plying their trade in the Premier League. Now compare that figure with the number of Brits playing in the top flights elsewhere. No, Mr Beckham, LA Galaxy doesn’t count, I’m afraid. The numbers speak for themselves.

The Brits consider that, having invented the game, we have some divine right not only to regularly appear in the finals of top international competitions, but also to win them. The problem is, no-one appears to have explained that rule to the rest of the world’s footballing nations.

Signor Capello appears to have his work cut out for him…